NOT PERE TO STAY

Fulham 0 West Ham 2

At City, he improved them in the Champions League while also winning the title.

The first steps at West Ham is changing the mentality from a club looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone to looking up at the top 6.

Pellegrini said: “For me the most important change is the mentality. It is the most important thing to change. It cannot be a team that is fighting for relegation.

“It cannot be a club that does not have a mentality to keep improving. For that you must do it mentally, as well as with facilities and contracts. There are a lot of things to improve to have a new step.”

Pellegrini had his squad boosted with £100million worth of talent this summer and after four straight defeats has got the club within sight of his European target.

The experienced coach managed to guide them to EFL Cup joy in his last season in charge despite knowing Pep Guardiola was on his way in

It is the perfect building job for a man who continued working as a civil engineer after getting his qualifications.

He had his own company in Chile that made houses and buildings at the same time he was constructing a career in football.

He said: “It helps you as a manager. It is a career that teaches you how to think about different issues. To have the correct way to resolve problems, how to exactly solve a lot of problems. When you have this order in your mind, it helps you in many different things in your life and not just that career.

“I finished studying in 1978 and worked as an engineer for around 20 years. It was a personal company, a small company as I didn’t want to grow it too much and wanted to keep with football.”

Overseeing a way to beat City is a massive project itself - but Pellegrini will get a warm greeting whatever the result.

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He knew the Etihad bosses wanted to bring in Pep Guardiola as manager from the day he joined the club. Yet he was dignified to the end - even when it became public knowledge halfway through his final season that Pep was coming in.

That is why he will get a warm reception from travelling fans at the London Stadium, after a successful finale to his three years at the Etihad.

In that last season - or “half a season” as he calls it he still managed a Capital One Cup triumph and Champions League final while knowing he was heading for the exit door.

Pellegrini said: “All the rumours and everything else is never good for any club. The way you react depends on your character. I didn’t feel the club were doing something behind my back, I don’t want to give that image. And it was true that I was not going to continue. But it is, of course, not the best way to work.”

He insists the clash at the London Stadium this weekend is not “Pellegrini v Guardiola” and he maintains a good relationship with the top brass at City.

Jack Wilshere was one of the high-profile arrivals at the London Stadium pre-season

Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho all arrived during his time, which can get forgotten during Pep’s whirlwind arrival in the Premier League.

His legacy is progressing the club during his time at the club. He said: “During the three years I was there, we grew one step from where we were before.

“This club started with Mancini who did good work and won their first title after 44 years, then after that it was my turn and we also won the Premier League, won a cup but we improved a lot in the Champions League because before that their best was just in the group stage. They didn’t go to the round of 16.”

It is a record he is proud of - winning the title in his first season, then winning silverware when he knew he was leaving.

In his second season, the club were hampered by UEFA sanctions, which fans still do not forget.

“To finish second that season was a good also, especially as we were punished by Financial Fair Play,” he said.